Perhaps if we have never lost a child at a young age, we should just be
silent in the face of these readings. Perhaps if we have never lost a
child at any age, we should still be silent. Yet the Lord calls us to
reflect on the enormous loss to a mother (or to a father) of a child. This
reflection can help us understand God Himself, sending us His Own Son.

The reading from the First Book of Kings touches our hearts so much. This
is a mother who had longed for a son. The Prophet promised that God would
give her a son. And then the son dies. How cruel can God be? Or does
death, even of a child, have some meaning that easily escapes us?

The second reading is not related to either the first or the Gospel. Yet
we can understand that the author of the Letter to the Galatians wants to
tell us that God acts in God's own mysterious ways and not in ways that we
can easily understand. This is so important when we face any huge
suffering in our lives or in the lives of others. Sometimes it is only
this deep faith that in God there is a meaning that can keep on on His
path.

The Gospel is another story of a mother whose only son, a young man, had
died. And she was a widow. This means that she will no longer have any
protection: neither husband nor son. Yet Jesus is there and restores life
to the dead young man, the only son of his mother.

How many times most of us have wished that we had God's power and could
restore a life to someone, for the sake of his or her family, for the sake
of those grieving, for the sake of bringing joy once more to those who are
in sorrow. Yet we find ourselves powerless, asking for God to please work
a miracle. Both of the mothers in the Scripture today found themselves
powerless.

The mother in the First Book of Kings turned to a man of God to help her.
The mother in the Gospel was grieving without knowing where to turn.

And what do we do in the face of sorrow and suffering? Where is our faith?
Do we call out with faith, seeking a miracle but ready to accept whatever
comes from the hand of God? Do we turn against God? Do we simply become
mute with unbelief?